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Theodore Weber (II)
Theodore Steven "Tade" Weber (Aug 10, 1884 - Dec 29, 1969) was born August 10, 1884 to Peter Weber and Katherine Becker in Jones County, Iowa. He grew up near Cascade, Jones County, Iowa. He married Anna Catherine Wagner on April 5, 1910 in St. Joseph's Church in Bellevue, Iowa. Soon after marrying the couple moved to Raymond, Iowa where they rented a house just east of town. Around 1910, they bought the Hampshire View farm southeast of Raymond where the family farmed and raised livestock. Together they had nine children: Harold, Florence, Evelyn, Dorothy, Lloyd, Ralph, Marguerite, Anna Mae, and Eileen Mary. Tade was very active in the community having served as one of the directors of the Cedar Valley Cooperative Milk Producers, elected Poyner township trustee serving a one year term from January 1, 1947 to January 1, 1948, and twice elected as committeeman for Poyner Township. He was also county supervisor for two terms in the 1950's. His daughter Dorothy Ortner remembers accompanying him around the area to measure property by hand with a tape measure. Also among his duties was to count and re-count the votes on election day. In those days, the votes were counted manually and he would leave the house early in the morning and be gone sometimes until the early hours the next day. As Theodore grew older, his son Lloyd took over the farming and in 1951, after farming the land for almost 42 years, Theodore and Anna moved to Lloyd and Rita's house at 310 E. Central Ave in Raymond and Lloyd and Rita moved to the farm. Theodore's health began to deteriorate and on September 14, 1969, he was placed in Parkview Nursing Home. Three days later, he fell on the steps of the home and broke his hip and was hospitalized at St. Frances Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa. He died on Monday, December 29, 1969, the cause listed as complications of his advanced age. His funeral service was 10:30 am on Friday, January 2, 1970 at St. Joseph's church and is buried in the church cemetery in Raymond. Stories and Memories Theodore loved playing baseball and was a catcher as a young man. He owned a uniform, a catcher's mitt, bat and glove and ball. He had a makeshift baseball diamond on his property and his team would often play town games there. Theodore used horses to work the land in those days and even after he had gotten a tractor, an International 1020 three speed with a chain drive, he still preferred the old fashioned way. He said he could get closer to the fence line with a horse than he could with a tractor and therefore increase his yield. He farmed this way until his son Ralph pointed out to him how straight the tractor rows were compared to the crooked ones Theodore had planted with the horse. Theodore never used the horse again. The planting process was much different than it is today. Back then, they would stretch a knotted wire tightly across the length of the field. The planter latched onto the wire and every couple of feet the knots would trigger the planter to drop three seeds. When they came to the end of a row, they moved the wire and started another row. This was continued until the field was completed an then the wire was moved in a perpendicular direction and the entire field was planted again at right angles to the first planting so that when they finished, the rows would be criss-crossed over the entire field. One of the horses he had was a white horse named "Dolly". One winter after a heavy snow and deep freeze the family was snowed in for two weeks. He rode Dolly to Raymond to get groceries but instead of taking the road as he usually did, the snow was so deep and hardened that he was able to go cross country, over fences. While inside the store, the horse got loose and was gone when Theodore came out. He carried the groceries home on foot, again going across country. He figured the horse had made its way home already so he told the boys to go out and put Dolly in the barn, but she was nowhere to be found. After searching, they found that Dolly, used to taking the road home, had done just that and had fallen through a snow drift and was stuck. They boys had to go out with shovels and free Dolly or she would have frozen to death. They raised their grandson, Lavern Weber after Marguerite died. Once as a boy, Lavern was outside with his BB gun. Dorothy happened to be taking laundry off the line at the time and as she bent over to put clothes in the basket, Lavern couldn't resist - he shot her in the butt with a BB. Dorothy let out a shriek and ran into the house. Knowing he was in trouble, Lavern hid behind the bushes near the house. Out of the house came Theodore with a heavy wire egg basket in hand and in his gruff voice yelled "Lavern!!" Out from behind the bushes he came and Theodore promptly hurled the egg basket right at him. Nothing else needed to be said. Lavern knew that today, as punishment, it was his job to gather the eggs. The family had a tradition of gathering at Christmas time at St. Joseph's parish hall in Raymond. Attending would be all of Theodore and Anna's children, their spouses and all the grandchildren. Gifts were exchanged and a wonderful Christmas meal was prepared and enjoyed by all. Another gathering was held on April 3, 1960 to celebrate the upcoming 50th wedding anniversary of Theodore and Anna and was attended by their children, 25 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, and many friends, relatives and neighbors of the couple. Obituary THEODORE S. WEBER Services for Theodore S. Weber, 85, of 310 E. Central Ave., Raymond, will be Friday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Raymond with burial in the church cemetery. The Rev. Paul Grace, pastor of the church will officiate. Rosary services will be Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 and 8 p.m. at Oppold Funeral Home. Mr. Weber died Monday at St. Francis Hospital of complications of advanced age. References Photo of tombstone taken by me. Category:Peter and Catherine Weber Family Category:Theodore and Anna Catherine Weber Family